Question

A patient is admitted with severe nausea and vomiting for the past 18 hours at home. He is found to have an elevated digoxin level. The patient states he has been taking his medication as instructed. After adjustment to his current dosage, the level returns to therapeutic and the nausea and vomiting stop. The provider gives a diagnosis of digoxin toxicity. The patient is taking digoxin (Lanoxin) for his chronic diastolic congestive heart failure. What is the coding for this case?

Answer 1

The patient was diagnosed with digoxin toxicity after presenting with symptoms of nausea and vomiting, which are common in digoxin overdose and can also relate to conditions like acute gastroenteritis. Therapeutic adjustments to the digoxin dosage resolved the symptoms.

Step-by-step explanation:

A patient presented with severe nausea and vomiting is later diagnosed with digoxin toxicity after being treated for chronic diastolic congestive heart failure with digoxin (Lanoxin). This medical scenario involves the patient's experience of acute symptoms like vomiting (which typically lasts for 24-48 hours), potential dehydration, and changes in blood pressure and heart rate, related to the elevated levels of digoxin - a medication frequently used to treat heart conditions.

Coding for this case would involve selecting the appropriate ICD-10 codes for digoxin toxicity, congestive heart failure, and the symptoms of nausea and vomiting, according to the healthcare provider’s documentation and the clinical guidelines for medical coding.